1
What do you wish you knew before starting at San Joaquin Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
60
Elementary
DISTRICT 243 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GOLDEN PLAINS UNIFIED·NCES 069113410216
Helm Elementary
13883 South Lassen Ave., Helm, CA 93627 · (559) 866-5683 · Fresno County
GRADES KG–08ELEMENTARY42-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL60 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
5 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 16.8:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
93%
56 students
DISTRICT 91% · STATE 65%
Community
0
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade
Student demographics
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Recent discussions in Golden Plains Unified
1
Best kept secret on campus at San Joaquin Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
1
How has Tranquillity High changed in the last five years, for better or worse?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
1
What's the best and worst thing about the food at Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
1
Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at Orange Vista High this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
1
Honest take: what's the hardest part about being a student at May Ranch Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Test scores
CAASPP 2023-24 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
34.1%
CA avg 47.1% . +18.1pp since 2014
Math
21.9%
CA avg 35.6% . +9.9pp since 2014
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
7-year change
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
60
-30 (-33%) vs 2017
Student : Teacher
11.8:1
was 16.7:1
% White
0%
was 1%
% Hispanic
100%
was 98%
% Asian
0%
was 1%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
About Helm Elementary
Helm Elementary is a primary school of very small scale in Helm, California, operated by Golden Plains Unified, caters to 60 students in grades K through 8. That puts it 87% leaner than the typical public school in California, which averages around 465 students.
Golden Plains Unified runs 6 schools in total, collectively educating 1,351 students. Helm Elementary is one of those campuses.
Demographically, Helm Elementary shows that 100% of students identify as Hispanic, making the school strongly Hispanic-majority. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 55%.
In terms of school funding signals, Helm Elementary logs 5 full-time-equivalent teachers, putting the student-to-teacher ratio at about 11.8:1. The state averages around 22.3:1, so this campus is tighter than the state norm typical. Roughly 93% of students at Helm Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which schools and policymakers use as a rough income-mix signal. Set against Fresno County (around 75%), the school's rate is meaningfully above typical.
In the broader community, ACS estimates for Fresno County put median household earnings sit near $74,201, 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and roughly 14% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Helm Elementary is one of 368 public schools in Fresno County (combined enrollment of about 206,072 students).
Nearest neighbor: Rio Del Rey High (Continuation), around 0.0 miles off. Within ten miles, there are 4 other public schools, a sparser pattern than typical urban areas.
The school occupies a small-town site.
Five-year trend. Looking back 7 years, enrollment at Helm Elementary has shrank 33%, going from 90 students in 2018 to 60 in 2025. The student-to-teacher ratio tightened from 16.7:1 in 2018 to 11.8:1 today.
In the discussion threads here, the feed for Helm Elementary typically covers open house dates, ride-share offers, and field-trip permission slips. Contributors range from current parents to recent graduates and teachers.
Fresno County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,016,725
Census ACS
Median income
$74,201
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
24%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
14%
Below federal line
Schools in county
368
206,072 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Golden Plains Unified
- San Joaquin ElementaryElementary · 518 students
- Tranquillity HighHigh · 370 students
- Tranquillity ElementaryElementary · 209 students
- Cantua ElementaryElementary · 184 students
- Rio Del Rey High (Continuation)High · 10 students
Nearby schools
- Rio Del Rey High (Continuation)0.0 mi · 10
- Burrel Elementary6.7 mi · 94
- San Joaquin Elementary7.2 mi · 518
- Westside Elementary9.5 mi · 135
- Tranquillity Elementary11.5 mi · 209
- Tranquillity High11.6 mi · 370
Frequently asked questions
About Helm ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Helm Elementary?
Helm Elementary enrolls approximately 60 students in grades KG-08.
Is Helm Elementary an elementary, middle, or high school?
Helm Elementary is an elementary school covering grades KG-08.
How many teachers does Helm Elementary have?
Helm Elementary employs 5 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.8:1.
How diverse is Helm Elementary?
Helm Elementary reports a student body of 100% Hispanic.
Is Helm Elementary public or private?
Helm Elementary is a public K-12 school, overseen by Golden Plains Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.